Press.



1. BERRIGAN.

PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY25.1915.

Patented May 29, 1917.

mamas STATES PATENT JOHN J. BERRIGAN, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY R. WORTl-IINGTON, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1317,

Application filed May 25, 1915. Serial No. 30,306.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN J. BERRIGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Presses, fully described and represented in the following specilication and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in pressing apparatus and particularly to an apparatus of the type shown in United States Patent No. 1,130,878, granted to me llflarch 9, 1915.

The object of the invention is to provide a press of such a type with means whereby a more flexible regulation of the pressure is possible and also a limitation of the maximum pressure to which the material is subjected may be obtained automatically, the apparatus being such that this maximum limit may be adjusted.

With the above general objects in view and some others, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the description hereinafter, my invention consists in the features, details of construction and combinations of parts which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then particularly pointed out.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an end elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and

Fig. 3 a detail view illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings1 and 1 are the pressing members pivotally mounted, as by means of trunnions 11 on the lever arms 12, fulcrumed in suitable fulcrum devices, such as the fulcrum boxes, indicated at 13 and 13. The fulcrum boxings are slidably mounted upon pedestals 1 1, supported by a base 15 in the manner described in my said Patent No. 1,130,878. Means are provided for fixing each boxing to its pedestal, as, for example, the bolts and nuts indicated at In usual practice the boxings 13 are secured by the corresponding bolts letwhile the boxings 13 are free to slide. A cylinder 20 is provided for lifting the pressing members and also for aiding gravity in pulling them down, when desired, this cylinder having a piston 21 and piston rod 22. To the head 23 of the piston rod are pivoted link devices 23, whose other ends have eyes through which the respective trunnions 11 are passed. The upper ends of the pressing members are arranged to he pivotully connected at the top in any desired way, the mechanism shown in the drawings being in all respects identical with that disclosed in said U. S. Patent No. 1,130,878. In the latter patent the fulcrum boxings at one side of the ap paratus are adjustable toward and from the corresponding opposite boxings at the other side of the machine. This is true in the present case, but the adjusting mechanism is of a different type, as will now be more specifically described.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the present drawings, the fulcrum boxings 13 and the means for connecting them, for example, the tension rods 17, are so arranged that fluid pressure may be provided intermediate said boxings and the said connecting means or tension rods whereby a relative movement may be obtained between the rods 17 and the boxings 13 at any time during the operation of the press. By this means the distance apart of the pressing members 1 and 1 may be adjusted or varied as desired during any stage of the pressing operation and also supplemental pressure may be given to the materials being pressed, if desired.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the fulcrum boxings 13 are so formed as to provide ram cylinders in which are located rams or plungers one of which is indicated at 13 each passing through suitable stufing boxes, as shown at 13 in Fig. 1, these plungers being carried by cross heads 13*, the ension rods 17 being secured to the cross heads in any suitable way as, for example, by suitable nuts, as shown. The tension rods 17 pass through suitable guide openings in the boxings 13, and are provided between the boxings with tubular sheaths 17, at the end of each of which is a removable collar 17", which may be replaced when worn. The sheath and collars serve to limit the move ment of the fulcrum boxings 13 toward the boxings 13. The ram cylinder is connected to a suitable source of liquid supply under pressure the connections in the present exwhich the relief valve 68 is adjusted,

ample being as follows: The supply pipe 26, provided with a valve 28, leads to a riser 64, connected by pipes 65 to the respective ram cylinders. In the riser pipe is located a needle valve (56, a drain cock (37 and an adjustable relief valve (38, which may be set to open at any desired pressure and thereby predetermine the maximum pressure of fluid on the rams. 1n the present construction the supply pipe 20 also ccnnects with each end of the cylinder 20, through pipes 25, being controlled by valves 69 and 70. In addition, suitable discharge valves 71 and 72 are provided for discharge 0] fluid from the respective ends of the cylinder. If desired, a suitable pressure gage may be provided as indicated, for example, at 73, Fig .1.

In the particular pressing apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the pressing mem bers support a pair of intermediate partition devices of the kind illustrated and described in Patent 1,131,032, granted to me lvlarch 9, 1915.

The operation of the device thus far described is as follows: The press being raised by admitting fluid pressure beneath the piston 21, material to be pressed, usually in bags, is placed between the pressing members 1 and 1 Owing to the toggle action of the links 23 and levers 12 the fulcrum devices of each pair are pushed apart to their maximum distance. lhe distance apart of the fulcrum device of one pair from the corresponding opposite device of the same pair may be adjusted by admitting fluid pressure to the ram cylinders until the relative movements between the rams and said cylinders cause the approach of the corresponding pairs of boxings 13 and 13 to the desired extent. Thereupon the valve 69 is closed, cutting off the fluid pressure supply to the cylinder 20. The valve 71 may be opened to allow the fluid beneath the piston to drip away. In this way the fluid pressure beneath the pistons 21 is gradually reduced. Gravity will now cause the press members to descend which, as described in said U. S. Patent No. 1,130,878, will cause a relative movementof? the pressing members toward each other and compress the material between them. Owing to the gradual decrease of the angle of inclination of the thrust members or levers 12, the amount of pressure to which the material is subjected will gradually increase. If the pressure on the material due to gravity alone is insuilicient, fluid may be admitted to the top of the piston 21 by opening the valve 69. If the pressure on the material causes a reaction pressure in the ram cylinders 13, in excess of that tor the relief valve will open, thereby permitting the escape of some fluid from behind the rams, whereby a relative movement of the rams and their cylinders occurs, this movement being such as to allow the corresponding fulcrum boxings 13 and 13, to move away from each other and thereby to separate the pressing members and relieve the pressure on the material. It is obvious that the pressure on the material may be reduced at any point in the pressing operation by opening the drain cock 67 to allow the es cape of fluid from behind the rams. Furthermore it at any time during the pressing operation it be found that the pressing members were initially spaced too far apart to exert the requisite pressure upon the material, or this result follows from the thickness and density of the cakes formed by the pressure,this may be corrected and the maximum or desired pressure be produced by the admission of more fluid under pressure from the main supply to the ram cylinders 13. By means of the pressure gage the operator is enabled to determine at any moment whether or not the press is operating correctly to give the desired pressure upon the materials.

Although the press shown in said Patent No. 1,130,878, was provided with means for adjusting the corresponding pairs of :tulcrum devices toward and from each other, the construction was such that this adjustment could not conveniently be made after the press was in operation and the fulcrum devices subjected to outward pressure. By the present invention the use of rams for adjusting the distance apart of the pressing members enables the operator to make the requisite adjustment at any time during the operation of the press, and notwithstanding the enormous pressure to which the fulcrum devices are submitted.

lVhile in Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the ram mechanism arranged between the fulcrum blocks 13 and the tension rods 17 the rams may be located at other parts of the mechanism to accomplish the desired result. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the rams may be so arranged as to vary the lengths of one pair of thrust members. In this construction the thrust members 12% are formed of two parts, one constituting a ram cylinder, as shown at 12 and the other carrying a ram plunger,.as indicated at 12 In this case, the fluid pressure is led to the ram cylinder through a flexible connection indicated at 7 1. The fluid pressure inlet enters a slide valve chamber and from there passes through a port 7 5 to the cylinder. 1n the slide valve chamber is a slide valve (6 arranged to be pushed in one direction by a spring 77 contained in a housing 78 secured to the end of the ram cylinder and arranged to be suitably adjusted. The ram is provided with a projecting trip rod 79 which passes loosely through the port and is arranged to push the slide valve outward.

The length of this trip rod and the length of travel of the slide valve are such that the slide valve may move a considerable distance without shutting ofl the inlet from the fluid supply. If, however, the ram and its cylinder should move away from each other to too great an extent, the spring 7 7 behind the slide valve would push the latter over the fluid inlet port and thereby shut off the sup ply of fluid to the cylinder. In this case also a suitable drain cock 80 is provided whereby fluid may be drained from the ram cylinder. This construction operates in substantially the same way as that shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

What I claim is 1. In a pressing apparatus, the combination with a pair of fulcrum devices and a pair of thrust members angularly movable with relation to said fulcrum devices, of a pair of cooperating pressing members pivotally connected to the respective thrust members, and fluid pressure means for controlling the distance apart of the said pressing members at any position of said mem bers, said fluid pressure means including rams and cylinders therefor and means for supplying fluid under pressure to each ram cylinder.

2. In a pressing apparatus, the combination, with a pair of fulcrum devices, and a pair of thrust members angularly movable with relation to said fulcrum devices, of a pair of cooperating pressing members pivotally connected to the respective thrust members and fluid pressure means arranged to control the distance apart of said fulcrum devices, said fluid pressure means including rams and cylinders therefor and means for supplying fluid under pressure to each ram cylinder.

3. In a pressing apparatus, the combination, with a pair of fulcrum devices, and a pair of thrust members angularly movable with relation to said fulcrum devices, of a pair of cooperating pressing members pivotally connected to the respective thrust members, and fluid pressure means arranged to determine the distance apart of the points of pivotal connection of the respective thrust members to the corresponding pressing members, said fluid pressure means including rams and cylinders therefor and means for supplying fluid under pressure to each ram cylinder.

4. In a pressing apparatus, the combination, with a pair of fulcrum devices, and a pair of thrust members, angularly movable with relation to said fulcrum devices, of a pair of cooperating pressing members pivotally connected to the respective thrust members, fluid pressure means for controlling the distance apart of said pressing members, and

pressure limiting means for limiting the pressure on said controlling means.

5. In a pressing apparatus, the combination, with fulcrum devices arranged in pairs, the fulcrum devices of each pair being relatively movable toward and from each other, of fluid pressure means for moving one fulcrum device of each pair with relation to the corresponding opposite fulcrum device of the pair, said fluid pressure means including rams and cylinders therefor and means for supplying fluid under pressure to each ram cylinder, levers fulcrumed in the respective fulcrum devices, and cooperating pressing members carried by the corresponding levers.

6. In a pressing apparatus, the combination, with fulcrum devices arranged in pairs, the fulcrum devices of each pair being relatively movable toward and from each other, of fluid pressure means for moving one fulcrum device of each pair with relation to the corresponding opposite fulcrum device of the pair, means for limiting the fluid pressure on said fluid pressure moving means, levers fulcrumed in the respective fulcrum devices, and cooperating pressing members carried by the corresponding levers.

7 In a pressing apparatus, the combination, with a pair of cooperating pressing members, a plurality of pairs of fulcrum boxes, and levers fulcrumed in the said fulcrum boxes and connected to the corresponding pressing members, of cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, piston rods connected to the pistons, a pair of links connected to each piston rod, said links being connected to the corresponding pressing members, means for supplying fluid under pressure beneath the pistons of said cylinders, and fluid pressure means for adjusting the boxes of each pair toward and from the corresponding opposite boxes of the pair, said fluid pressure means including rams and cylinders therefor and means for supplying fluid under pressure to each ram cylinder.

8. In a pressing apparatus, the combina tion, with a pair of cooperating pressing members, levers on which said pressing members are pivotally mounted and fulcrum boxes in which the corresponding levers are fulcrumed, of connections between each fulcrum box and its corresponding opposite box, said connections including a ram and ram-cylinder, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to each ram cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. BERRIGAN. Witnesses:

P. N. TILDEN,

J. T. DONOVAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

